With heavy downpour reported in the neighbouring Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, Virudhunagar district started to get widespread moderate rain since Sunday evening.
The intermittent rain without lightning and thunder brought copious water on to the road especially along Western Ghats.
A senior citizen Agri D. Subramanian complained that even for the mild rain, water from Sanjeevi hills found no way to drain into the Athikulam tank as the supply channel has not been desilted for past several years.
The channel, which is carrying sewage while passing through the residential areas, has flushed out sewage onto the streets causing inconvenience to the residents of few streets in Indira Nagar abutting Sankarankoil road in Rajapalayam, he said.
Repeated petitions given to the municipal authorities have not evoked any positive response, he said.
Even for a petition on the need to desilt the drainage channels in Indira Nagar, the municipal officials have replied to take it up in another 10 days, added.
Meanwhile, officials said that with no strong wind accompanying the rain, no incidents of tree falling and power snapping were reported in the district till night.
Meanwhile, some 200 devotees who had climbed up the Sathuragiri hills to offer prayers at Sundaramahalingam Temple were prevented to climb down in the evening following the rain.
Though forest personnel were kept ready to help devotees to cross the wild streams in the event of flash floods, they prevented devotees from climbing down as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, Virudhunagar Collector V.P. Jayaseelan has shared emergency helpline numbers for the people to contact seeking rescue and other help.
People can contact the control room of Virudhunagar District Disaster Management 1077 for all emergency requirements. They can all dial the State Disaster Management control room over 1070.
Fire and Rescue services personnel can be reached over 101 and 112. For electricity related complaints, they can call the State Minnagam helpline over 94987-94987. For queries on rain-related diseases, people should dial 104 and for emergency medical services call 108.
Virudhunagar district had reported an average of 54.33 mm of rainfall till 9 p.m. on Sunday. All the nine raingauge stations had experienced good rain.
Srivilliputtur in the district had experienced a maximum of 131.40 mm of rainfall till 9 p.m. Similarly, Sattur had reported 115 mm followed by Rajapalayam 73 mm. Rainfall reported in other places (in mm): Virudhunagar 67, Vembakottai 60, Tiruchuli 59.50, Sivakasi 52, Aruppukottai 48 and Kariyapatti 46.
Mr. Jayaseelan has declared holiday for all schools in Virudhunagar district on Monday as a precautionary measure, owing to widespread rain and forecast of heavy rain.
